Ahimsa Varsh 2600th Birth Anniversary of Mahavir Swami

Author(s): Naresh Jain, P Jayaraman
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 13

R. Venkataraman
FORMER PRESIDENT OF INDIA 5, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi - 110 011
Message
t the dawn of history there were four great civilizations in the
world; the Babylonian, Egyptian, Indian and Chinese. They transformed the primordial man from a beast to a human being through the instrument of religion. Religion offered to primitive man incentives like going after death to heaven, the land of eternal bliss by following Dharma or the righteous path. It also propounded taboos and sins with penal consequences after death such as transient or permanent suffering in hell. It forbade incest, killing, robbing, uttering falsehood and defiance of the moral code.
No other country in the world, nurtured so many great religions as India has done. It is the home of Hinduism fully developed independently without any foreign influence. It was here that Bhagwan Mahavira founded the most humane religion, Jainism. The Buddha radiated from India Buddhism to several parts of the globe, the central Asia, Far East, Burma and Sri Lanka.
Bhagwan Mahavira said:
"Man can become a super
Bhagwan Mahavira whose man by ascetic practices. The 2600th Birth Anniversary we ultimate goal of all spiritual are celebrating today has left an practices therefore is to become indelible imprint on the peoples a Man God, Paramatman
for over two millennia and will Bhagwan Mahavira's religion
continue to do so as long as is more a code of conduct.
mountains last and rivers flow.
This is an occasion for the peoAccording to Jainism there is no God or Creator and man's
ples of the universe to pledge liberation from suffering does
themselves to eternal Nonnot depend on such Superior
Violence in thought, word and
deed. Power. None the less the Jains believe in Heaven and Ilell.
I am glad that the New York The essence of Jainism is
branch of the Bharatiya Vidya Ahimsa, (Non-violence). In its
Bhavan whose principal objecpositive connotation it is uni
tive is the promotion of peace versal love. Bhagwan Mahavira
and harmony among the peosaid that it is one soul that
ples of the world, by synthesizreposes in the colored and the
ing the diverse religious culwhite, the oriental and the occi
tures and traditions, has taken dental, the virtuous and vicious,
up the celebration of Bhagwan the male and the female. For
Mahavira's 2600th Birth him plants, worms, birds, beast
Anniversary in a grand manner. and man, all have the same
The erudite scholar statessoul. He preached two millennia man Dr. L. M. Singhvi's particiago, the Brotherhood of Man, a pation will shed light and luster. concept which we have not The wide variety of subjects realized despite all the material relating to Jainism proposed to progress and advancement. be discussed at the meeting, Gandhiji acknowledged that
promises to make it educative
and enlightening. in fashioning "Satyagraha" as a weapon in freedom struggle he I wish the function all sucwas greatly influenced by the cess. Jain doctrine of non-retaliation...
K Venkatesłaman.
[R. Venkataraman
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